AirAsia destinations: No swab test for fully vaxxed passengers

MANILA, Philippines — All of AirAsia’s domestic destinations no longer require COVID-19 tests for fully vaccinated individuals.

The budget carrier said Zamboanga City is the latest to lift the swab test requirement.

Fully vaccinated guests should present only their vaccination card and S-pass.

Puerto Princesa, Bohol, Kalibo, Tacloban, Bacolod, Iloilo, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Caticlan, including Boracay, had earlier eased travel requirements for fully vaccinated guests.

AirAsia said the use of face shields at the airport, on the plane and destinations under Alert Levels 1, 2 and 3 are not mandatory, pursuant to a national pandemic task force resolution as recommended by the Department of Transportation.

“AirAsia is very excited for all these exciting developments in the travel and tourism sector. Slowly but surely, we will achieve that sense of normalcy we all have been praying for,” AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan said.

In Ilocos Sur, fully vaccinated visitors are allowed without presenting a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test.

Ilocos Sur Provincial Hospital chief Trina Talaga said the new rule applies to those visiting the province in less than 24 hours and do not come from areas under Alert Levels 4 and 5.

However, Talaga said visitors should secure a border pass to avoid unecessary delay when they leave the province.

Meanwhile, Negros Oriental opened its border with Negros Occidental after the national pandemic task force approved the request of Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) to resume bus operations between the two provinces.

VTI said it would resume its Dumaguete to Bacolod City route via Mabinay and San Carlos City. – Artemio Dumlao, Gilbert Bayoran